Valve-gear



H. M. SMYTH.

VALVEGEAR.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 22, 1919.

Patented Mar. 8, 1921.

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H. M. SIVIYTH.

vALvE GEAR.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 22, 1919. 1,370,925, Patented Mar. 8, 1921.

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Ill/1171111111111 //Mr//llllllllllll/l//A H. M. SMYTH.

VALVE GEAR.

APPLICATION FILED APII.22. 1919.

1,370,925. Patented Mar. 8, 1921.

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i INTAKE TROKF.

Cor-IPREION STRDKE l Powar jmeox'.

UNITED Specification of Letters Patent.

VALVE-GEAR.

Application led April 22, 1919. Serial No.:291,867.

T 0 all whom t may concern:

Be itknown that I, HENRY M. SMYTH, a citizen of the United States, residing at city, county, and State ofi VNew York, have invented new and useful Improvements in I -Talve-Gears, of which the following is a specification. Y

This Vinvention relates to a valve mechanism for internal combustion engines, and particularly toa rotary valve mechanism.

An object of the invention is to provide a valve mechanism in `which adequate openings are provided for relieving the engine of much of the back pressure ordinarily found present effecting the movements of the pistons.

A further object is to provide a valve mechanism embodying unusually large intake and exhaust ports, together with means for controlling the opening and closing thereof in accordance with the requirements of the moving pistons.

A further obj ect is to accomplish the above results in a device in which the valves are of the rotary type;

A further and more detailed object is to provide a valve mechanism including rotary q valves and a simple and practical mechanism for rotating the valves at non-uniform speed.

A further object is to provide a valve mechanism including non-uniformly rotating valves so related that the various move ments thereof are balanced against each other in such manner that the power exerted for producing the operations is at all times uniform.

Other objects and aims of the invention,

kmore or less specific than those referred to above, will be in part obvious and in part pointed out in the course of the following description of the elements, combinations,A

arrangements of parts and applications of principles constitutingthe invention; vand the scope of protection contemplated will be Vindicated in the appended claims,

In the accompanying drawings which are to be taken as a part of this specification, and in which I have shown merely a preferred form of embodiment of the inven- Figure 1 is a transverse sectional view taken through the cylinder of an engine fitted with a valve mechanism constructed in accordance with this invention.

Y Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the Patented Mar/8, 1921'.l

engine shOWn in Fig. 1a portion thereof.. being broken away Vto show the valve oper- .Y

ating means therein. Y.

j. liig. 3 is atop plan view, somewhat enlarged, of the valve` operating mechanismrv appearing at the left hand side of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectionall view through a portion of the engine shownl in i Figs. 1 and 2, being somewhat enlarged, and thesection being taken substantially upon the plane of line IV-IV of Figs. 1

and 2 for showing the relationship existing between the two adjacent valves. j

Fig. 571s a diagrammatic view illustrating the position of the essential elements when the piston is at the beginning of itsintake ,l i

stroke.

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the position ofthe essential elements when the piston isl at the beginning of' its compression stroke.

Fig. 7 is a diagrammaticiview illustra# ing the position of the essential elements when the piston is at the beginningof its power stroke,-and

Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the position of the essential elements when the piston is at the beginningof its exhaust stroke. Y

Referring to the drawings for describing in detail the structure which is illustrated therein, the reference character L indicates the body of an engine providing the intake manifoldl and exhaust manifold 2. These manifolds may be of any desired type, either formed integrally with the engine-casting, as

illustrated, or otherwise, as preferred. The.

cylinders are preferably arranged in pairs and any desired number of pairs may be present.` Each cylinder is provided with a piston, as Gr, movable longitudinally-there in and being connected to rotate a crank shaft 3 in the usual way. Each cylinder also is provided with an intake port i'and an exhaust po-rt 5 communicating with the manifolds l and 2 respectively.

A single rotary valve' H. is provided for each cylinder. All of the valves H are of identical vconstruction andv each consists of a cylindrical -main or body part 6 and a stem part 7 The body parts 6 are fitted finto. suitable cylindrical pockets formed Y Vable opening 8 is formevdrin the body part 6 opening 8 between the engine cylinder and one or the 'other of the ports 4 and 5. e The stem part 7 projects upwardlyffrom i vthe body through an appropriate bearing 9 formed coneentricallywith'the cylinder. A gear 10 isv fixedto' the stem T beyond the I bearing 9 and'serves as a meansby whichtoy rotate thevalve. This gear rests directly uponthe upper Vend portion, as 11', ofV the j ton reaches its full down positiomas shown bearing 9 and servesto'support the weight Vof the valve and cooperates? with` the bearing toimaintaiiithe valve in its-proper funcved to serve as a spark plug and for this pur# poseit is'preferably made hollow and carries an insulated;` conductor 12 centrally l therethroughffitted with spark points-orA the like', as 18, yat its inner end disposed to co-` 25:

i the body 6 at the inner end of the stem. It l operatewith other spark points 14 fixed to is to be noted, in this connection., that the r spark points 13` and 14 thus arranged are 'directly adjacent to the intakerport so that their e'Hicient operation is Vpractically as- .The gears 10 of, each pair of cylinders are connected together by an intermediate gear 15. The gears 15 are fiXedto beveled gears 16 and all ofthe beveled gears 16 are y driven from-a common shaft 17 Acarrying beveled pinions 18 engaging the gears 16. The shaft' 17 ymay be driven in any'rappropriatefmaiiner from the crank shaft of the engine. Its. speedof rotation is uniform and the gears are so proportioned to each other that one complete revolution is given @to each of the gearsl() to each two complete revolutions of the engine crankshaft.

i From thedescription Vof parts as thus far given ity will be apparent that the movements' ofthe crank shaftproduce simul- V `taneous rotation of all ofthe valves H so that alljof said valves move to `open and close the intake and exhaust ports of their respective cylinders at predetermined times according lto the relationof the valve openf. ings 8 with the-respective gears 10.

Inor'der now'to provide for the use of. unusually largeintake and exhaust ports, as above suggested, Vthis invention contemplates means for causing the valves H to rotate at a non-uniform speed. VOnemeans of accomplishing this result includes making of all the gears 10 and 15 eccentric Vand elliptical and of `relatingv them toy each other so that the uniform. speedV of rotation imparted by the shaft 17 to the gearsil will causeY the gears 10 to rotate at constantly varying speeds for accomplishing the reducing a relatively'very rapid speed ofro'- tation of the-gear 10. As the piston moves Y. downwardly'. thev intakeV port- 4, therefore,

`spouse to the needv causedby `t-hedownthe opening the position shown infFig. 5.

`its longestV radius upon the shortest radius of the gear 10 and is thus, at this time, proo Y becomes widely openedbythe initial down- Y ward movements'of the piston. YAs'thepis# r 4 gearl gradually comes to operateupon a relatively longer radius of the gear 10thus t decreasing thespeed ofrotation of the gear 10 as the intake port is closing. `*This iapid 85 opening and slow closing of the intake port is very essential in that it permits. the flow offuel into -the cylinder toghe in lfull rev f wardly moving piston. Y

The intake port ispreferablyof such width as to remain open for aslight period 'after the piston has reached its lowermost point, thus to further permit vthe full inflow. of'fuel. i As the piston now moves upwardly on its compression stroke," .toward the position shown in F ig. 7, the shortest radius of the Y gear 15 is gradually brought to operate upon thelongest radius ofthe gear 10 thus 100 causing the speed of rotation of the gear 10v during vthis period to bev greatly reduced.`

course, neither the intake or exhaust Y ports are uncovered in this period.

As the piston moves downwardly on its V lworking stroke, vtowardthe position seen inv Fig. 8, an increased radius of the gear 15 is again gradually brought to bear upon a de`V creasing radius. of the gearrO, thus gradually accelerating the movements of the gear 10 so that theoperation of opening the ei;- haust port 5 begins at a time when'the speed of the gear 10 is rapidly increasing. The eX- haust port is preferablyl so disposed as to open slightly Ain a ;l vancefoftlieI full down 115 position of the piston and the' ratiobetween the gears 10 and 15 at this time is suclrthat the exhaust port becomes fully open by only the initial upward movements of the piston.-

tlie piston is at nearlyA a standstill in its lower position. The exhaust A port stands fully openv for the majorportion of the up? ward stroke of the piston, and its closing A is accomplished quickly, due to the increas-125 ing relative speed of the gear l1() as the piston reaches its .uppermost position; that is,

This quick movement of the valve in closling the exhaust has the advantage that only 13.07'

having been accomplished while v a very small movement ofthe crank is necessary to produce a'comparatively large movement of thepva'lve so that'the exhaust'port may Vremain open until the pistonreaches its uppermost position,l and the valvestill be closed in time, the valve moving over a wide` 'opening of port in an extremely short time.

rlhis cycle of operations is repeated in subsequent rotations of thel gear 15.

The speed of rotation of the gear 10 and consequently of the valve H, is constantly changing. The changes are gradual buty nevertheless pronounced. It willr be ob served by inspection of the diagrammatic Y views Figs. to 8 that a onequarter rotation of the gear 15, foiinstance from the position shown'infFig. 5 tothe position shown in Fig. 6, producesV considerably more than a one-quarter rotation ofthefge'ar 10. further one-quarter rotation of the Gear 15.; that is, from the position shown in ig. 6 fto the position Yshown in Fig. 7, produces con-v siderably less than a one-quarter rotation of the gear 10. A further one-quarter rotation of the gear 15; that is, fromI the position shown in Fig. `7 to the position shown in F ig. 8 also produces considerably less :than a one-quarter rotation of the gear 10, while a final one-quarter rotation of the gear 15;

that is, from the position shown in Fig. 8

to the position shown in Fig. 5, produces considerably more than a one-quarter rotation of the gear 10. Y

The arrangement of the ygear 10 relative to the intake and exhaust ports is such that the slow moving period of the gear 10 takes place while both of said ports are closed and the piston is on its compression and power strokes, while the fast moving period of the gear 10 takes place while the piston is on its exhaust and intake strokes during which time the exhaust and intake ports are to be opened and closed. Through this arrangement very wide intake and exhaust ports are made possible and are rapidly uncoveredAV and covered leaving ample uncovered periods for satisfying the full needs of the piston movements.

1t will be further seen that the relation of the intake port quickly .and close it slowly.

XVhile in the views Figs. 5 to 8 onlyone v valve H and gear 10 is shown in association ith the gear' 15, it will of course be under-A stood that a second valve H and gear 10 might be placed vat the left of the gear'15, as Shown in the other figures,y InV such-ar'- rangementvr the gear would operate with its longest axis alternately affecting one-of the gears 10, and then the other. .In this way the gears are all kept"constantly in mesh while theiry centers remain unchanged and at thev saine time strains upon the gear 15 are balanced so that the power exertedfor 'operating it is uniform. f -A certain smoothness of operation. -is thus attained which is very desirable.

The intake and exhaust ports tially o f the valve, the exhaust port being wider. By this meansthe relatively faster movement of the opening 8 in traversing the A- port 5, as compared with the relatively slower movement inpassing the yport 4c, does not shut off the port 5 prematurely. The extended width of the port 5 enables said portf to remain open for substantially the same duration of time as theport 4.-

Thevalve arrangement as above described is particularly well adapted in use for high no'reciprocatingv parts, but because' of the fact that even though the engine may be running fast, yet the opening of the ports is always ample and the closing of the ports is delayed. Fuel is taken and exhaust gases discharged with the same efciency as if the engine were running slower.

As many changes could be made in this n y 4 and' 5 are 'I of somewhat differenti widths circumferen-v speedY engines, not only because it'includes construction without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the following claims, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings, shall be interpreted as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is Y 1. In an internal combustion engine havdescribed my invention, whatr ing an intake port and an exhaust port, a v

rotary valve for controlling said ports, said valve having an opening movable into and out of register with said ports, and means for producing a relatively rapid speed of rotation of the valve when the valve is moving to bring said opening into register with one of said ports and for producing a relatively decreased speed of rotation of the valve as it moves to close said mentioned port.

2. An internal combustion engine comprising a cylinder, a piston therein, a crank shaft operatively connected with the piston, and the cylinder having intake and exhaust ports, the combination therewith of a rotatable valve mounted to rotate for opening and closing said ports, and means whereby the initial movements of the piston on its Vcovering the intake strokel Will .produce :a relatively decreased' Vspeed of rotation of the valve and .thereby prolong the openv period'of the intake Jort. i. 3. An internal combustion'engine aving.

an intake port and an exhaust port, a rotary valve forjeontrollingsaid ports, `said. valve 'havingI -an opening movable into, and out of register with said ports, one of saiol ports being circu'mferentially narrower than" the other, and means for producing a relatively rapidspeed of rotation of the valve when. the valve is moving toibring'tsopening into register with each of said ports and -for pro;

i dueinga relatively decreasedspeed of rotaoperating with said ports, and means for driving, said valve from sald crank shattVv tionof the valve as the valve opening moves -to close the lnarrower port.

4. VAn internal combustion engine com-v prising in combination a eylindera piston therein, `a crank shaftoperatively 'connected with said piston, the Asaid Cylinder having intake and exhaust ports, a rotary valve ooat a constantly `changing speed, said speed bengygreatly accelerated-during the opening of the exhaust port, attaining .its lhighest speed When this port isclosed and thejintake about to open and slowingl down from this point until the intake is closed, said valve making one revolution Vduring two` revolu tions of said `crank shaft.V

5. Anv internal Combustion .engine having" an intake port andf an exhaust port, ofa 11o- Vtatalole valve and means for moving said valve intojand out ofregistry with said exhaust port With a speedV continuously' amel- Verated to the end ofthe piston stroke'7 and into and out of registry vvlththeintakeport With a speed continuously retarded Vto the end .of the *piston* stroke. A

y 6. An internal eornloustionenginehaving a plurality ofports'5 a rotary valve forfeon! trolling saidv 'ports7 y said; .valve 'having an valve` `with continuously accelerated u Speed to theend of the `exhaust'st'roke Vand continu- ;ouslyfretarded speed to the end of the'intake openingomovable YintoandA out of registryw with said-ports and means for rotating said' In testi'r'nonyfWhereo'V'I have'signed this speeificationthis 21st day ofApril, 1919.

.A 'f @"'HENRY M. SMYTH. 

